In the past it has been common to provide portable vacuum cleaners with batteries. This technique has not been successfully employed in upright cleaner of the type having a handle assembly pivotted to a floor engaging unit, however, such vacuum cleaners hence conventionally requiring the interconnection of the cleaner with the power mains during use. While upright vacuum cleaners have many advantages, such as greater cleaning power, this interconnection creates problems in the use of the cleaner since it limits the distance that the cleaner may be used from an outlet, and the interconnecting cord tends to become tangled with furniture or the like during use.